At one time, the promise of free pizza was enough to lure students to any campus event, but the culinary landscape in higher education has transformed dramatically. Today, students arrive on campus with more sophisticated palates — and a wider variety of dietary needs and cultural preferences. 

This shift presents new challenges for the professionals responsible for food ordering. Balancing tighter food budgets with the logistical demands of feeding thousands of students requires thoughtful planning, creative solutions, and high-quality meal options.

Food has the power to build connections, spark conversations, and strengthen communities. The following insights can help campus professionals offer meals that draw students in while simplifying the logistics of organizing meals for campus events. 

The power of food to foster student engagement

Nothing brings people together quite like good food — and for student events, it’s the secret ingredient to sparking conversation and engagement. From feeding hungry athletes, to drawing crowds to alumni events, the right food choices can really impact attendance. Plus, by serving up allergen-friendly and culturally diverse food options, you make sure every student gets a seat at the table. 

“We have nearly 40 organizations within the business school,” says Sarayu Sundar, Associate Director for Student Experience at Rice University. “So, as you can imagine, there is never a day when there isn’t a student event happening. And you can’t have a student event without food.”

Meeting students’ diverse dietary needs

Food that’s quick and convenient is no longer enough for many students. According to a recent Student Voice survey, 40% of students want fewer ultra-processed foods at campus events, and one in 10 report having dietary restrictions. This means that allergen-friendly, culturally diverse, and nutritionally balanced meals aren’t just “nice to have.” They’re important keys to student satisfaction.

These changing preferences have prompted universities to rethink their approach to student dining. Take Texas A&M University, for example. It prides itself on offering food options that reflect its students’ values and health priorities. This is especially true when it comes to their student-athletes, who need nutrient-rich meals to meet the intense demands of training and competition.

“Our goal is always making sure we’re feeding the players the best food to fuel them for pregame, and providing the best options for recovery post game,” says Courtney Gallagher, Assistant Director of Performance Nutrition. 

Off-campus catering solutions

Of course, campus life often extends beyond university grounds and students and staff frequently need meals for student activities, clubs, and events. With multiple people placing orders, managing expenses can become disorganized, and inconsistent application of tax-exempt status adds to the complexity. Meeting these off-site dining needs requires careful coordination and reliable partnerships.

Jacksonville State University faced this challenge with their athletic program, particularly during tournament season when teams travel across multiple states. They needed a reliable delivery platform that specializes in helping organizations like universities feed large groups — and found that in ezCater.  

“ezCater ensures our team eats well even on the road,” says Matthew Boone, Track and Field Coach. How?

The platform gives teams access to fresh, healthy options from local restaurants in different cities — so students can enjoy consistent, nutritious meals during away competitions. “Beyond boxed meals, we try to do a more substantial dinner, so having access to local caterers in an unfamiliar area that I wouldn’t be able to find on my own has been really helpful,” says Boone. 

Ensuring consistent tax-exempt status for every order

While students (and staff) may be familiar with delivery apps for their personal use, ordering for universities is a whole other ballgame. They need functionality that solves everyday challenges faced by universities.  

One of those main challenges is ensuring that universities’ tax-exempt status is honored on every order, which can be arduous. With ezCater, colleges and universities can upload tax certificates once and apply them automatically to every order. 

When Rice Business created an account with ezCater, Sunday says she uploaded the university’s tax ID to the account and now vendors automatically see that tax exempt status on every order, preventing back-and-forth negotiations with restaurants.

Simplifying the catering process

Another source of stress among universities — particularly finance and procurement professionals — is tracking spend across departments. Rice University knows this well. 

“Everything obviously needs to be tracked,” explains Taylor Adams, Co-President of the Entrepreneurship Association. “We all have budgets, and as business students, we need to make sure that we are adhering to those budgets.”

So for every catered meal, the students needed to save and turn in the receipt — which isn’t always easy since receipts easily get lost or damaged. After struggling with manual processes, Rice switched to ezCater’s streamlined approach to coordinate meals for student organizations.

“The results of using ezCater are really obvious,” says student experience director Sundar. “What we were doing [before] was not working for us. ezCater came in just like a magic wand, solving all of our food needs.”

Smart solutions for campus catering

For campus professionals, feeding students and staff means more than just placing orders — it means balancing dietary needs, managing complex budgets, and coordinating logistics across departments. But the right tools can ease the burden.

Learn how ezCater can help streamline your school’s food ordering.